Hacking NDS Pirating getting too rampant?

[Redostrike]

Many people use piracy because they don't have the money for buying the game's. Flash carts are easy but hey there are not cheap so you bought something expensive. If you really don't want do be a pirate throw your FC away (and break it so no one else can take it). I admit i('m gonna use it my FC is being posted in a week) use it to play games for free. Games are expensive and it's easy for everyone to dl a rom and put it on a SD or something. Playing this way is just discovering what the game is. If you really like it and you have the money you prolly can buy the game.

It's like whit movie piracy you dl a movie see it on your PC (DS, PSP, TV, DivXplayer, ect.) if you like it are you going to buy it? You have it on your PC so why bother buying it? Well got to say i have much piracy (Movies, TV Shows, Roms, Games, Apps) But if i need to buy every thing i have pirated man i would be broke every one would be broke.

I think everyone is a pirate eve the peeps at nintendo. The peeps that work for nintendo have pirycy prollo not of nintendo but how would they go agianst Competition? like PSP sony and PS2. I believe some piricy groups work for the major company's You eveer heard some great catch in the news about pirates? Well how much do you hear about them after the first time they are on the news? Nada zip nothing! Because the major groups get a free out of jail ticket because they work for big company's like sony and such.

Now you can think what you want about it this is what i belive (and really know)....Comments are welcome.

 

[id242]

If you can't afford a car, is it then justifiable to steal someone else's to get around ?

How about if you steal a car "to see if you like it", and if you do then you'll go out and buy one yourself.... Is that morally justifiable ?

the flaw in your comparison is that if you steal a car, it is not available to someone else. but if you take a digital copy of something (say a DS program), you are not taking away the ability of someone else using it or even purchasing.

tangible objects can never be compared to digital copies without sounding like the RIAA/MPAA.

and just because you had "pirated" an electronic program does NOT say that you would have purchased it instead, it say that the value you placed on that copy is a lot less than the value the seller had placed on it.

 

[lagman]

...
Prices go up for games because of PIRACY. You are adding fuel to your own fire.

Well, I´ve never bought pirate gasoline ,but it´s not getting cheaper

 

[Extreme Coder]

Well, I have a better reason to pirate then all of you
The place were I live in, almost EVERY gaming shop here in Maadi(in Cairo) doesn't have DS games. Heck, they barely have a few DS Phat units

And I'm certainly NOT going to travel 2+ hours to buy a game that I like, or I am not paying for DHL to import a game here, too expensive.
Let's see, is there any other choice? Oh wait, buy a flashcard and save yourself the trouble(and the money).
The botttom line is: I'm a pirate, but there aren't any alternatives here(any good ones)

 

[Psyfira]

I don't buy much games myself, because of a lack of cash flow. However, I am not justifying my piracy by saying that I need to play games and I can't afford to buy them. I am saying that I AM a pirate because I just can't pay $40-$80 for every game I would like to play.

Exactly. The only reason I even got a cart in the first place was cause I was tight for cash and I worked out that the price of the 4 games I wanted to buy at the time was equal to the one-of cost of the cart. I'm not saying "it's right that I have a cart because I can't afford games" because no, it isn't, that's no moral-high-ground justification for piracy. That's just the reason why I do it, it doesn't make it right.

Still am pushed for cash. But soon (hopefully) I'll have a job. I'm not used to getting a regular wage; I know there's saving for houses and food and stuff like that, I've always been good with money but it's a well known fact that I'll have some excess which I'll have no idea what to do with. Hello DS game fund. It'll be nice to have some game boxes on my shelf for a change

Back on topic: Rampant piracy, it's hard to say. Flashcarts aren't common knowledge. The only people who know about them found out by word-of-mouth from someone else who owns one. As a cart owner it's not surprising that the people around you know about them, they found out from you

And even then, the thought of mucking around with DS firmware and passcards puts some people off.

Finally what factor makes you think that DS piracy is widespread? I ask because you can't use activity here on GBATemp as an indicator. Due to this year's change of reading permissions requiring a login more people make posts who under the previous terms would've just kept to themselves. I'm not complaining, it's just that this board is busier due to admin changes, not changes in the volume of piracy

 

[HugeCock]

LOL I gots enough moneys but the key to being rich is not too waste money you don't need to. I unplug my alarm clock in the morning to save electricity, air dry after a shower to save laundry, don't pinch my loads so I don't need TP and I pirate my games cause I can. ARGH Matey

 

[Devante]

Guys... it's actually very simple.
You download and play ROMs that you don't own; it's against the law.

No matter what argument you want to use.

"I can't afford to buy games/companies have been charging high prices all this time."
If you can't afford food, the law doesn't allow for you to steal it from the store. And by the way,
if you are really that poor (I know I am), then you probably should be more worried with finding
better jobs/furthering your education/etc. than playing video games, especially so many that would
a flash card.

"You are not depriving someone else of a product."
This has absolutely no bearing on the legality of downloading content that someone created with the
explicit intention of earning money from each use of the content. This argument is an ethical one,
not a legal one.

"I download games that I normally wouldn't purchase anyway."
All I really have to say about this one is "tell it to the judge."
And by the way, why not send a letter to the game creator telling them you don't think highly enough
about their game to purchase it, but would like them to send you a copy anyway since either way you
wouldn't buy the game.

"I purchase the games that I really like."
Don't kid yourself on this one.
Buying 10 games doesn't make up for downloading and playing 90 other games.


Now for my arguments on the subject.

1) People create games for a living. They do it to pay their bills, the same as construction workers,
waiters, McDonald's employees. Granted making games probably isn't a bad job, but it's still a job.

On the same note, people who create games get these jobs by going to school and learning the skills
they need to program, graphic design, debug software, and so on.

Game creators are not evil, money hungry business men with glowing red eyes, sitting on golden toilets
with the devil whispering in their ears. They are people, a lot of them kids like you and me, struggling
to pay off student loans, keep their rent and car note paid, and provide for their families.

These people make games with the intention to create revenue for themselves to pay their bills. If they
wanted you to have a game for free and only pay if you feel like it, they would send out coupons or
distribute the games online with a "donate if you feel like it" button.

2) People here are arguing two different points. One is ethical, one is legal.
Is it ethical? Well that's relative. What's ethical to one guy may not be to the next. (Stem cell research
anyone?) So it's pointless to argue over opinion. If anything, you're not going to change someone else's
opinion. Especially on a forum whose main focus is on video games.

Is it illegal to download/play ROMs you don't own? Yes. No one can argue that. It doesn't matter if the
law is fair or not. And by the way, breaking the law in itself is a subject of ethicality.


I personally believe that it's slightly ethically wrong to download ROMs in regard to the people making
the games for a living. But I'm not losing any sleep over it.

I purchase a few games that are on my "must always buy" list, such as Final Fantasy games. But I am not
kidding myself by saying that makes up for the over 3,000 burned CD's I have of console games on my shelf
and countless ROMs I have amassed.

Let me end by saying this: If there was nothing wrong with it, then you wouldn't have to make excuses.

So... whatever your excuse, it's against the law.



Now... here's to looking forward to the next few slot 1 solutions!

 

[Deleted User]

Piracy is wrong, but I still do it without any guilt whatsoever. The copy of Photoshop I have, downloaded it. The Windows XP that I'm using right now, downloaded it. The majority of the DVDs I own, downloaded them. The hundreds of games I play on my Nintendo DS Lite, downloaded them.

I don't deny piracy is wrong ... just as wrong as dubbing a copyright tape in the 80's ... just as wrong as plagirism. But I still do it, why? Because I can I guess. Maybe the fact that I'm saving myself a crapload of money overcomes any other feeling of remorse or guilt, if I had any to begin with.

 

[cracker]

Didn't the NES come out at $100 dollars and each game was $20 a pop

I got the system not long after it came out and it was about $120. The games ranged from $30-50. And the Game Genie (yeah I like to cheat) was $90.

 

[brandonpate]

I don't see how you can consider piracy on the ds rampant. How many people personally know someone other than themselves that have a NDS flash cart. Do this take the number of people you have seen with a flash cart and place that number over the number of people you have seen with a DS to form a fraction. Now does that number support the use of the word rampant when speaking of NDS piracy.

 

[stonefry]

Well this post got a lot of responses really quickly, but a while back somebody mentioned that you should rent instead of trying games on the flash card. I argue that gaming companies lose WAY more money to rentals than they do to piracy. I have no facts to back this up, just a thought.

 

[ohoni]

The thing to remember about Flash Cards is that while the GBA had less of them, they ALSO had perfect emulation almost from day one. I know that if the state of NDS emulation was anywhere near the state of GBA emulation I wouldn't own a Flash Card. I love computer emulated games, they have savestate, larger screens, and don't run out of power. Flash Cards are the next best thing.

 

[Shinji]

Um...I just dont like hauling around 20 DS Cards... Y'all get so riled up over this subject.

I LOVE IT!!!

This is the most activity on this board in a while.

My view on the pirating scene. There will always be "legal excuses" (ie, mine! or...the "try before i buy" thing..), there will always be the nay-sayers. Lets just keep things interesting, hm?

EDIT: oh yes, on a similar note...in the music industry, do you really think that illegal downloading of music is hurting the industry? Think again, its the legal downloads that is. *Shuts another Tower Records down* Mwehehehe!!

 

[Brouhaha]

Prices go up for games because of PIRACY. You are adding fuel to your own fire.

You have no idea what you are talking about do you? Maybe if you had a clue about what the industry is going through, you wouldn't post such simplistic comments. In the real world, it's all about the production cost going up through the roof. It cost 100k about a decade ago to make a triple A titles. Now it's in the millions, yet the consummer base hasn't grown 1000% now has it? Oh wait you have no clue, so let me answer this for you: no it hasn't. Piracy is common in under 1% of the consumer base, and rehashed argument or not, you probably wouldn't have bought the 99% of the games you pirate.

As for priating DS games, I have to plead guilty, even though I own roughly 20 titles, most of them bought after playing them of my Supercard. As for pirating movies, I have to plead guilty, although I own 200+ DVD, most of them bought after watching the mpeg-4, which was really enjoyed. As for downloading mp3s, I have to plead guilty, although I own 400+ CDs... Can you say as much?

Don't beleive me? Here's a picture, taken in my Loft i bought downtown... DVDs/Games on the left (some, read a lot, are missing, as I have the latest at work...), CDs on the right...

Oh and that's MY beer on the table, touch it and die...

 

[cory1492]

Sorry to go to the lighter side of yet another thread debating something that really isnt open to debate unless you are a judge.

NDS Pirating getting too rampant?

I just keep getting a picture in my head of DS's floating around in the ocean with little marios on them raiding eachother's DS. Not to mention the fact that the DS itself has never been "pirated" (unless you count that missing shipment that was due for the Euro launch of the lite onyx unit).

 

[Opium]

Yarrrrrrr!

Flashcarts and piracy exist because there is a demand for it. Get rid of the demand and then there's no piracy! Duh. Not many companies are willing to actually solve this problem so I don't feel much sympathy for them.


Valve I have a lot of respect for. I love what they're doing with Steam. One of the reasons I pirate is because a. the game isn't coming out in my country or b. it's taking too long to come out in my country. I'm a consumer damnit, I want it the same time as everyone else.

With Steam, releases are simultanious worldwide, no matter where you are you will recieve the same product at the exact same time as everyone else

Maybe the next Nintendo handheld should have a flashdrive for storing games and you connect it to your computer or download kiosk in stores to download the game directly from the internet for a small fee (cuts out the middle man price + packaging etc).


Get games instantly when they are released worldwide + Cheaper price because it is online only = WIN

Until then, pirate away!

 

[melloncollie]

It's hilarious seeing people flailing.
They're trying to pull the "but I'm the moral/just/better pirate here" crap.
Why can you not all (and by "all" I mean those who pull the above crap) accept the fact that a pirate is a pirate?
And this whole argument about stealing a car.
Like someone said above, to juxtapose such a thing is flawed.

 

[lagman]

Yarrrrrrr!

.......
Maybe the next Nintendo handheld should have a flashdrive for storing games and you connect it to your computer or download kiosk in stores to download the game directly from the internet for a small fee (cuts out the middle man price + packaging etc).


Get games instantly when they are released worldwide + Cheaper price because it is online only = WIN

Until then, pirate away!

Well, the Virtual Console it´s gonna be a great test.
But I seriously doubt about worlwide releases on Nintendo consoles

Too much legal issues

 

[Opium]

It's hilarious seeing people flailing.
They're trying to pull the "but I'm the moral/just/better pirate here" crap.
Why can you not all (and by "all" I mean those who pull the above crap) accept the fact that a pirate is a pirate?
And this whole argument about stealing a car.
Like someone said above, to juxtapose such a thing is flawed.


A pirate is a pirate. Stealing is stealing. There's no way to sugarcoat that.

And the industry needs to actually address the problem rather than quick fixes and flawed systems. As I said piracy will exist as long as there is a demand for it and right now there is a demand for it.

QUOTEWell, the Virtual Console it´s gonna be a great test.
But I seriously doubt about worlwide releases on Nintendo consoles

Too much legal issues

I guess it is. As long as:

- the virtual console games are released the same time in all countries
- they are available at a good price

There's a bit of debate about the price, I'd be perfectly happy if the prices were just a few dollars cheaper, I mean they are games from like 20 years ago.

Worldwide releases on a Nintendo console wouldn't be an issue if it was an online release. There are no legal or import problems then. Valve and Steam are based in USA, what you are buying is a license to use the game not the game itself. Which would be very legal.

 

[lagman]

One more thing: Do you really think there´s more DS piracy?
Or is just that the people is more interested on this race for the perfection?